


Flying Battery: Death From Above

by MinibossGapsule



Category: Furry (Fandom), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Airships, Alternate Universe - Sonic the Hedgehog/Furry, Angst, Complete, Depression, Dragon Ball Reference, F/M, Flying Battery, Interplanetary, Sonic - Freeform, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 14:15:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 17,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29333634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MinibossGapsule/pseuds/MinibossGapsule
Summary: Mobius-2 has been plunged deep into war. Hundreds of thousands have died, more still have been wounded, and the damage cost is in the millions. Morale is at an all-time low. The planet's adversary, Anti-Mobius, has outgunned, outsped, and outmaneuvered everything Mobius could put out. Hope is dwindling fast, and every day, citizens go outside prepared for the absolute worst.The Mobian government has been corrupted, and they've resorted to forcefully recruiting its citizens to fight in the war. Despite the warnings, some citizens remain oblivious to this fact. James Heiser is one of the people who didn't see the memo.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 8





	1. The Hike

**Author's Note:**

> Hey!  
> Thanks for choosing to read my fic! This whole concept is a...unique one to say the least.  
> One day 8 years ago, I was visiting a friend's house. This friend just so happened to have a game called 'Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection'. I was intrigued because I had only vaguely known about Sonic's existence before then. I popped the disc into my friend's Xbox 360, and chose a random game. This just so happened to be Sonic & Knuckles. At the time, I was bad at video games. I barely got past the first Zone with one life left! The first zone was pretty cool, but nothing compared to the majesty that was the second one: Flying Battery Zone.  
> I loved the aesthetic, the music, the level design, the bosses! It was, and still is, my favorite video game level. I love this zone so much, that I decided to give it an official debut into the world of writing. As far as I know, there aren't any fics on the Internet dedicated to Flying Battery Zone.  
> So, it is my honor to dedicate hours of my life to writing the very first fanfic about this wonderful level. I'll try my best to do this zone the justice it deserves.

**Chapter 1: The Hike**

Daily Log, Day 1

Today’s Saturday! I’ve had this hiking trip planned for weeks now, and I finally get to go to the national park and find that perfect camping spot. From what I’ve researched, there’s an empty field surrounded by forest somewhere in the center of the park; I think I might set up camp on the outskirts of that clearing. Hopefully, all goes well today!

This is James Heiser, signing off.

The young husky closed his notebook and slipped it into the opening of his overnight bag. He shouldered the bag and pulled his phone out of his sweater pocket. The air in his bedroom was oddly stuffy and hot, despite the cold weather outside. The husky looked out the window and stared at the drifting dust particles for a moment. Was he really prepared to be out in the wilderness on his own? He sure hoped so.

After a moment of self-doubt, he shook those thoughts out of his head and got going. Being 18 years old, he was legally allowed to move out of his parents’ house and get his own, which is precisely what he did. His current house was super small, but it was plenty enough for his own purposes. He was an artist, accepting commissions from people on the internet to draw their characters for money. Once he had enough money, he bought himself some camping equipment and took himself on a well-deserved vacation to the nearest national park. 

Opening the door to his tiny apartment, he was met with a gust of cold wind. It chilled his face and flowed through the messy mohawk on his head, making it flap wildly. James walked a few feet down the block and entered his car; a beat-up 2097 Sonic Blitz. It was over twenty years old, but it did its job well. He turned the key in the ignition, and at first, it wouldn’t start. But after a few punches of the steering wheel and some loud swearing, it coughed and spluttered to life. James pulled out of his parking spot and joined the endless flow of early Saturday morning traffic.

James dug his phone out of his pocket and attached it to his car stereo. He navigated to his favorite music app, and randomly selected a song. Immediately, the inside of his car was inundated with the sounds of EDM and dubstep music. The husky rocked his head to the music as his car bombed down the highway at breakneck speed. 

After three whole hours of nonstop driving, James was starting to get bored. All he saw outside was the occasional car passing by and a farm or two, but other than that, nothing interesting. He needed something stimulating. So, he began to play I Spy with himself.

“I spy with my little eye...one handsome husky that wants to go camping,” he said while glancing at his reflection in the window. 

As if his wish had just been granted, James saw a sign on the side of the road.

“West Side Island Nature Sanctuary just one mile away!”, it read. James sighed in relief and drove on, getting nearer and nearer to the entrance. 

Once he arrived, he was greeted with an empty parking lot and a busy check-in lodge. He found a parking space with ease and rolled to a stop. He put his phone back into his pocket and opened the trunk of his car. The overnight bag he packed looked pathetically small compared to the bags that some other people brought, and James was worried that he had under packed. Luckily for him, his tent was small enough to carry in his free hand, so that is what he did. James slammed his trunk closed and locked the car. He walked into the check-in lodge which was invitingly warm. It was lit up with electrical torches and a huge fireplace. A deer head hung above this fireplace, and admittedly, James was a bit creeped out by it.

There wasn’t a line of impatient visitors waiting at the check-in desk, so James waltzed up to the clerk.

“Good evening, sir! How may I help you?” the clerk asked.

“Good evening to you, too. Say, I was wondering where the best trails are for a beginner hiker? This is my first time out here,” James replied.

“Well, the best trails would be about five miles northwest from here. There’s a clearing that you can place your tent at; I’m sure you’ll enjoy the hike!” The clerk concluded.

James put a thumbs up and left the lodge. Following the instructions given to him by the desk clerk, he found the start of a relatively easy-looking trail before long.

The husky grabbed his mountaineering stick from his backpack and began the long trek through the forest. James’ non-athletic body was not prepared for the amount of work it’d require to reach his intended destination. Within half an hour, he was already gasping for breath and panting hard. He’d sweated so much that his fur was damp and his mohawk was beginning to mat down.

“Aw man, this is way harder than I anticipated. How much longer do I have to go on?” he asked himself.

James looked forward, backward, to each side. He was surrounded by forest on all sides. Despite his body aches, he pressed on, whacking branches and hanging plants from out of his path. After about an hour, James was completely pooped. He slumped against a tree, panting like a dog. His heart beat like crazy and his vision was going blurry.

“Alright, I think I’ll set up camp here. I can’t do any of that climbing anymore,” he said to himself.

He plunked his items on the ground and set to work. Pretty soon, he had a basic tent up and was working on a campfire. He collected lots of sticks; big and small, thick and thin, and placed them in a pile. Digging into his overnight bag, he felt around for a small metal rectangle. He found it and extracted it from the bag. Flipping a small switch on the side, a bright orange flame spat from the opening. James applied a small bit of this fire to the pile of sticks, and soon it was blazing steadily. The exhausted husky flopped onto his sleeping bag and breathed a sigh of relief. Where he was, it was slightly less cold than everywhere else, especially due to the newly-made campfire. James snuggled up next to it with a fat marshmallow on a stick.

The heat of the fire and the comfortability of the tent knocked James out pretty quickly. He rolled on his side, wrapped his tail around his body, and fell fast asleep.


	2. The Plan Goes Awry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James goes camping and is accidentally conscripted into war.

**Chapter 2: The Plan Goes Awry**

Daily Log, Day 2

I finally went hiking yesterday! It was rather fun, I suppose. Although I severely underestimated the amount of effort it’d take to climb that trail! I was so exhausted that I just passed out as soon as I got everything set up. Remind me to never do that again. The spot I found is pretty nice. There’s a river not far away and the cold is a bit more bearable here. That could just be because of the campfire, though. In any case, I sure am enjoying myself up here.

Signing off, James Heiser.

James capped his pen and slid it into the spine of the notebook. He had just woken up not half an hour ago, and he was still groggy. The campfire had gone out during the night, and surprisingly, none of his stuff had been rooted through by wild animals! Score! The tired husky crawled out of his tent and stretched his limbs. He yawned and rubbed his eyes. He surveyed his surroundings. There were mountains to his west, a lake to the north, and the check-in station was to the east. That meant the only way he could go was south. He deconstructed his tent and put the rest of his items away. Pretty soon, James was on his way.

He had pre-downloaded a map of the park onto his phone, and he was looking at it now. He could see that to his south was a wide, open field with a few scattered trees. This empty field was about a mile away, so he began his trek through the forest. The vegetation of this section of forest was especially thick; James was always tripping over branches or getting his tail snagged in the lower shrubbery, which warranted a few volleys of swearwords. The husky was getting a little fed up with all the minor annoyances in the forest.

“Ugh, stupid plants! Why’s it always me you’re picking on? No, I’ve gotta stay calm. This is my well deserved vacation, and I will use my time wisely,” said a very annoyed James to himself.

Finally, he emerged from the darkness of the forest into the beautiful morning light of a peaceful plain. A few trees grew here, but other than that, nothing. Just a grass-covered flatland for miles on end. James, being the coward he was, initially didn’t want to travel across this wide plain. But the more devilish side of him convinced the cowardly part to press on. So that is what he did. James began his trek across the field by taking a large chug of water from his canteen. He walked steadily along while humming a song to himself. 

Just then, one of his ears began to twitch incessantly. Every other second, it’d jerk to the side, seemingly warning James of something he could not yet see. Something to his side rustled in the bushes. James screamed, but when he saw nothing there, he pressed on with caution. After a few minutes of nothing, he assumed he was in the clear. Oh how wrong he was. Almost as if on cue, he heard a strange hum that then morphed into a low but strong droning sound. It grew closer and closer.

James’ entire body was on high alert. He was prepared to run for his life or die trying. Just then, a colossal airship descended from the sky. It dwarfed James, who stood in awe at the marvel of technology in front of him. The ship’s huge propellers spun rapidly, still producing the ominous low hum. Just when it looked like things couldn’t get any weirder, ropes descended from the underside of the ship. People in groups of five slid down these ropes, each one clothed in military garb and armed with a rifle. They made touchdown and began to spread out in each direction. One of them ran past James and grabbed his shoulder.

“Take this and shoot! We’re getting ready for one helluva firefight here in a moment!” The man handed James a rifle.

The gun was heavy in his hands and the bullets clinked around inside it. He pointed it at the ground and clenched on the trigger. One bullet spat out and punctured the ground, making a small hole. James smiled, knowing that he held the power to eliminate life in his hands. It made him feel...stronger. On the other hand, did he really have the ability to kill somebody? He never was one to engage in conflict, especially not one this violent. 

But, desperate times called for desperate measures. He had unwittingly wandered into war and was being shot at. James had to defend himself. He shed his hiking equipment and ran in the general direction of the other soldiers. He didn’t know why he was there, or who he was fighting for, but all he knew was that he must kill. From the bushes surrounding the area, other strange looking people revealed themselves. 

All of them had guns, knives, and other weapons. James, while not knowing what exactly he was doing, somehow managed to get some successful shots off. Two enemy soldiers went down within one minute; the first hit in the leg and bleeding, and the second struck right in the chest. He fell to the ground and didn’t move. It was the first time James had ever killed another person in cold blood. He froze in his spot, staring at the dead body. Blood pooled beneath it as whatever life it once had drained away. James felt strangely enlightened after this first kill. It was almost as if his ancient predatorial genes were kicked into overdrive, and he was overcome with a wave of bloodlust.

No. He couldn’t be like that. That wasn’t him. He didn’t mean to kill that soldier; it was in self defense, right? ...Right? 

“Oh, Chaos. What have I done?” he asked himself.

All the while, guns blazed and men fell everywhere around him. James was uncoordinated, but he got the job done. He avoided getting shot and successfully evaded capture from the enemy soldiers. Finally, after an hour-long firefight, the enemies were beaten back into the bushes and retreated. James and the other soldiers took a moment to rest and recuperate. Some of them cleaned their guns, some took a moment to eat a well-deserved sandwich. But, that reprieve was not to last long, as a siren blared from the huge waiting airship. All the soldiers rushed to stow their items away. 

James, who had no items to speak of anymore, followed the group of men to the waiting ship. A large hydraulic door swung open, and everyone filed inside neatly. James continued to follow, and once he got inside, he was shocked by what he saw.

“Gentlemen, you fought well. The Anti-Mobians have officially been completely eradicated from this island. Good work!” said an important-looking official at the front of the pack.

“Ah, I see we have a new face. Welcome to the  _ Flying Battery.” _


	3. James' New Employment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James is officially recruited into the crew of the UZMBAF Flying Battery, and meets his new workmates.

**Chapter 3: James’ New Employment**

Daily Log, Day 2 cont’d

I’m still in quite a bit of shock from what happened earlier. At this point, what is reality? Are we all simulations? That man I...killed, will his family ever be able to forgive the unknown person who wiped out their son, or father, or husband? Can I forgive myself? No, I can’t think that way. I’m not sure what these guys are gonna do to me, but let’s hope they’ll just pay for a plane ticket for me and send me home…

Until next time, James Heiser.

James sat on the hard wooden chair with a lost look in his eyes. He’d just been taken aboard the huge airship and directed to some sort of...recreation room. The firefight from just earlier left his ears ringing with an unrelenting and annoying chime. His notebook, which had been found partially buried in the dirt, had splotches of dry blood on it. His name, written in perfect cursive on the front cover, was almost smudged beyond recognition. His clothing was torn and grimy. His fur, caked in mud. He looked like a trainwreck. Soldiers walked by him, some of which were the very same ones who had just fought alongside him. One of them, a blue and white fox-wolf hybrid, knelt on one knee next to James. 

“Hey, are you alright? You seem to be new around here,” he said.

James looked at him with tears in his eyes.

Suddenly, a loud booming voice from the other side of the room.

“Private Fuchswolff! Front and center at once!” said the man.

It was the important official from before. James could see the nameplate on his left chest pocket. It read “von Luftregler”. 

The blue and white Private ran up to the man, and stood at attention, with one hand in a salute at his forehead.

“I want you to train our new recruit, Private Fuchswolff. Show him the ropes. He’s been assigned to weapons tech with you and the other two losers of the lower sector. There’s an extra uniform waiting for him down there. He’ll be bunking in your cabin until we can find him space. Get going now!” the man told him.

Fuchswolff stuttered and walked away, a sad expression creeping over his face. He knelt on the floor next to James, who had calmed down a bit.

“Well, I guess you’re coming with me, kid. My name’s Stormi Fuchswolff. You can just call me Stormi, though. Let’s walk and talk,” he said.

James stood up, clutching his notebook tightly to his side. He followed Stormi down a long corridor with many rooms branching off to the side.

“So, James was it? It’s nice to meet you.”

James looked at him quizzically.

“I saw the name on the front of your notebook. Right now, you’re on a ship called the  _ Flying Battery.  _ I was recruited for work on this ship a couple of months ago. Apparently, it once was a vacationing blimp! Did you know that-”

Stormi’s speech was muffled as James’ mind drifted off to other things. He vividly remembered the musty smell of burnt gunpowder in his nose, and the terrified faces of the wounded and dying on the battlefield. He remembered the screams, the war cries, the blood. It was harrowing.

“-and that’s how I was recruited for my first battle! Any questions?” Stormi concluded.

James snapped back to reality.

“Huh? No, I don’t have any questions,” James said.

He felt bad for spacing out on this seemingly innocent guy, but he was still coming to terms with recent events.

“Anyways, here’s the entrance to the ordnance deck. Be careful though, these stairs sure are steep!”

Stormi swung the metal door open, and immediately a gust of hot, dry air washed out. It smelled like gunpowder and body odor. He bounded down the stairs, taking three steps at a time with his long legs. James, on the other hand, treaded much more carefully. The staircase wound around a thick cylindrical beam in a spiral formation. There were several landings between the top and bottom of the staircase, each one leading to another deck aboard the ship. Finally, Stormi and James came to the bottom of the staircase and opened the door. There was a large workshop there, with various scraps of metal and several mortar shells strewn around. Piles of bullets spilled from haphazardly constructed storage compartments, and dusty computers sat on desecrated wooden tables. It looked as if that room hadn’t been used for years. 

“Uh, Stormi? You sure we’re in the right place? It looks deserted,” James said.

Stormi rolled his eyes and banged his gloved hand against the door. It made three dull clangs.

“Guys, come on out. It’s just me! We’ve got a new recruit, and Luftregler ordered me to show him the ropes. Come and introduce yourselves!”

James was uneasy. The silence combined with the dank conditions of the room made him very uncomfortable. Suddenly, something moved on the opposite side of the room. A chair swiveled around, and sitting inside it was a stern-looking and muscular grey wolf. He had his arms folded across his chest. He wore a black tank-top with a camouflage pattern on it, and long cargo pants that were one size too big.

“This our newest recruit? He doesn’t look  _ all that.  _ Luftregler really told  _ you  _ to be his mentor?” asked the guy.

He chuckled under his breath and held a hand out.

“The name’s Scout, don’t wear it out. I’m the guy who builds all these weapons aboard this ship. Our other mate Agena is around here somewhere. She’s probably working on some new gun designs. By the way, you might want to watch yourself around her. She has a particular liking for lively and good looking chaps like yourself. At any rate, it’s good to have you with us,” he said.

James shook the wolf’s hand. He had a crushing grip. Just then, another person walked out of a room on the opposite side of the workshop, shaking their hand and blowing on it, all the while shouting obscene words.

“Hey, we’ve got a kid in here! Don’t say that out loud!” Stormi shouted.

“I don’t care if we’ve got a stupid k-OH!” the person said.

She was a tall red fox with long red-orange hair and a fluffy tail. This must have been the "Agena" character Scout had informed James about. She didn’t look all that bad. As soon as that thought crossed his mind, however, the vivacious young fox bounded over to James, and looked him up and down.

“Hi. My name’s Agena, but you can just call me Gena. Or, whatever else you’d like to. I don’t mind,” she said.

Her tail wagged excitedly.

James chuckled lightly.

“Aw, come on, Gena. Give the kid a break! He just got here and already you want his c-YOW!”

Scout was interrupted by Stormi whacking him upside the head with his hand.

“Don’t mind them. These guys are some of the best at what they do. So far, we haven’t experienced a battle firsthand, but when that day comes, I’m sure we’ll be ready. Now, since it’s your first day, how about we show you around? There’s plenty of things to be seen and plenty of history to be discussed. Captain Luftregler managed to find a uniform of your size, so go try it out!” Stormi told James.

He gestured to a chair with a neat pile of folded clothes on it. James grabbed it and went into the restroom to change. As he did so, he thought of the events of the day so far. The park staff surely would’ve known about the  _ Flying Battery _ ’s impromptu landing in the middle of the field. They also surely know that the area surrounding the landing site is a popular campsite. Maybe they sent a search party out? He couldn't be too sure.

Finally, James put his new uniform on and checked himself out in the mirror. He was impressed with how well it fit. It even had a nameplate on the left breast that read “Heiser”. How nice of them. The sullen husky exited the restroom and joined up with the rest of his new workmates.

“That uniform suits you perfectly! Now, let’s get going! We can’t be away too long; the Captain might punish us for not completing our ammo quota for the day,” Agena told James.

The trio climbed up the spiral stairway and exited on the top deck.


	4. Getting Situated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James is given a tour of the Flying Battery, but not before some minor conflict between crewmates sours his enthusiasm.

**Chapter 4: Getting Situated**

Daily Log, Day 2 cont’d

I’m writing this as I walk so have my sincerest apologies for my messy handwriting. The Captain assigned me to work with the guys down in weapons tech. Right now, though, they’re taking me on a tour of the ship. I really don’t care about this ship, or the war, or anything else here for that matter. These guys are cool, especially Stormi, but I just want to go home. I think I might have a plan, though…

At any rate, this is James Heiser, signing off.

James snapped his notebook shut and slid the pen into its spine. He slipped the book into the interior pocket of his jacket and ran to catch up with the others.

“Hey, James. What’s with the book, man? You writing a diary or something?” Scout asked. James clutched his notebook tightly to his chest.

“I’ll have you know that it’s a documentation of every day of my life. This book holds sentimental value to me.”

Scout held his hands up in protest.

“Alright man, you don’t need to use those big words on me! Was just trying to, what do they say? Break the ice!”

James rolled his eyes and laughed through his nose. 

As the quartet walked down the carpeted hallway of the _Flying Battery_ ’s ‘A’ Deck, other people who happened to be walking by looked at them strangely. A group of bridge officers whispered to each other and laughed. Scout growled at one and Stormi led him away. Agena, who had been totally quiet this entire time, walked with her face hidden in her hands. But then, the unthinkable happened. 

“Hey, floozy! What, are you trying to take the kid to your room and make him ride the train to pound town? We all know you did it to the other two losers with you!” 

It was a scrawny-looking hyena that worked in the propulsion department, by the looks of his uniform. He and his mates all shared a good laugh and a high five.

Tears dripped from Agena’s hidden eyes. She sobbed quietly as the ridicule continued on.

Scout’s face twisted in an expression of pure rage. The veins on his forehead bulged and his teeth clenched. Stormi put one of his hands on the angry wolf’s shoulder, but it was immediately shrugged off.

“That jerk has no idea what he’s talking about! Those rumors aren’t true! Agena’s the sweetest, most compassionate person I’ve ever met, and I’d be damned if I don’t defend her name,” Scout said.

He rolled up his sleeves and stomped his way over to the laughing hyena.

“Hey, you! Watch what you say about that girl over there. She’s done nothing wrong, and those rumors about her are untrue. So leave her alone.”

Scout gave the hyena a stern look and walked off, joining the rest of his own group. For a moment, the entire hallway was silent. The hyena and his mates were shivering, the bridge officers from before watched the altercation from afar, and James was rather impressed at Scout’s sudden caring nature. Stormi patted Agena on the shoulder and wrapped his arm around her, in an attempt to give consolation. 

The group emerged outside onto the top gun deck of the _Flying Battery_. The ship was moving at a steady pace through the air, and due to their position, the group wasn’t constantly buffeted by the wind. James carefully edged closer and closer to the guard rails on the edge of the deck and looked over. The ship’s curving hull obstructed most of the view, but other than that, all he could see was an endless expanse of thick white clouds. Above the ship, and the rest of the planet for that matter, the sun shone brightly, and the day was warm. It was getting late; around 5:00 in the afternoon.

“You alright, Gena? What were those guys talking about back there?” James asked.

Gena leaned her back against the railing and sighed deeply.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just...really don’t know what I can do to stop this from happening. They think that just because I’m a female fox, I’ve had an intimate relationship with everyone aboard the ship. It was the ONE TIME!”

James’ mouth hung open.

“I-I shouldn’t have said that. Sorry, but I need to go,” she said.

James tried to go after her, but Scout held him back.

“Just let her go. She’s got a lot on her plate right now. We’ll let her calm down. Speaking of plates, how about we go down to the cafeteria and get us some grub?” Scout said.

He led James and Stormi one deck below to the massive onboard restaurant that functioned as a cafeteria for the crew. There were already at least one hundred people sitting at tables and enjoying their dinner. Various talking and sounds of laughter rang out throughout the entire room. The atmosphere was joyful and celebratory. Quickly and inconspicuously, James, Scout, and Stormi went up and grabbed their food. The trio found a table in the far corner of the room, out of the way and mostly out of sight. They ate in silence, each one of them contemplating the day’s events. 

After dinner, James followed Stormi to his cabin. It was on ‘H’ deck; the second to last from the storage compartments on the underside of the ship. James’ bed was already sitting there, placed haphazardly directly across from Stormi’s. The exhausted and stressed out husky flopped onto his bed and was soon out like a light. What would the next day bring for him?


	5. James' First Workday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James is feeling less than enthused about his current situation. But luckily for him, a chance landing at the largest air facility in the world might let him make a getaway.

**Chapter 5: James’ First Workday**

Daily Log, Day 3

Yesterday was confusing, to say the least. I have no idea what that hyena was on about, but Agena sure seemed to be affected by it. I feel kinda sorry for her. Guess I’ve missed out on a lot of drama. Anyways, the Captain ordered all the crew to wake up early this morning. I don’t know why, but it seems important. I overheard Stormi and Scout talking about me last night. They were saying how I wasn’t prepared for the job and that I really shouldn't be here. Heh, if only they knew how I truly felt. I’ve been scouting out possible locations to carry out my escape plan. I sure hope they can forgive me for this…

James Heiser, heading out.

The tired husky rubbed his eyes and yawned loudly. He closed his notebook and slipped it underneath his mattress discreetly. He’d woken up to an annoyingly loud screech on the loudspeakers right outside his cabin. That was almost an hour ago, and he still hadn’t gone up to the cafe to get breakfast. Then, a knock on the door. James stared at the door, not intending to get up anytime soon. The person knocked on the door yet again.

“What is it?” James asked.

“It’s Stormi. Come up to the cafeteria for some breakfast,” said Stormi with that soft voice of his.

James grunted.

“I’m not hungry. You can tell Scout and Agena that I won’t be attending any events today. I’ve got stuff to do,” he said angrily.

There was a soft thump on the other side of the door.

“Alright, but I don't think you want to miss this one. The Captain has an important message to deliver to everyone; I think it has something to do with an imminent landing. But, I’ll let you do you,” Stormi concluded.

James heard his boots retreat down the hallway.

He huffed and stretched his arms into the air. Just like that, a waft of pungent odor entered his nose. He scrunched his face and sniffed more. Yep, it was him alright.

“Wow, I sure am a musky husky. It’s been almost a week since my last shower,” he said. 

James looked at the clock. It read 8:45 AM. The odorous canine entered the restroom and stripped down to his bare skin- or fur, rather. He stepped into the shower and turned the knob, opting for hot water rather than his usual cold shower. The steamy water ran down his furry body, permeating even the deepest and darkest recesses of his figure. It felt good, and it calmed James’ nerves considerably. 

After about twenty minutes of steamy bathing, James exited the shower. He quickly dried himself and threw his uniform over his partially-damp body. James didn’t bother to neaten his hair or smooth his clothes; he just grabbed the keys to the cabin and ran all the way upstairs to the cafeteria. 

Luckily, he arrived just as the Captain’s address began. He quietly entered the room and looked out for a familiar face. He could see the back of Stormi’s brightly colored head towards the front, so he slipped in behind him.

“Thank you all for coming. As you all know, we had an incident previously, and during the firefight, some of the  _ Flying Battery _ ’s gas pockets had taken damage. They’re leaking helium like nobody’s business. So, I’ve ordered the ship to land at the nearest air hangar, which just so happens to be the Navy’s Launch Base Zone. I’ve sent a message ahead of us, informing them of our arrival. 

As of now, we should be about an hour away. I want the propulsion department on standby when we arrive. Gun deck crew, stow the weapons, and the weapons tech department, you keep churning out those munitions. Once we make touchdown, you all have thirty minutes of downtime. Feel free to leave your posts and do what you wish on the ground,” Captain von Luftregler said.

With a wave of his hand, everyone was dismissed. Amidst the sea of soldiers, James could not find Stormi, or anyone else he knew, for that matter. But that wasn’t important. All he was focused on was that one sentence the Captain uttered. ‘Feel free to leave your posts and do what you wish on the ground.’ That’s all James needed to make his getaway.

Quickly, he exited the cafeteria and made his way back down to his cabin. After knocking on the door to confirm that nobody was inside, he gathered his things and shoved them into his coat. He looked around the room, making sure that he left nothing behind. Then, he left the cabin, locking the door behind him. While running down the hallway, he looked through each window. He could see the ship slowly descending, breaking through several cloud decks as it went. The edges of the windows were frosted up. He could see his reflection in the smudgeless glass. There were bags under his eyes and stress wrinkles above them. His eyes had lost their former cheerful glow, and it was replaced with the cloudy aura of regret and guilt.

James moved fast, almost flying down the hallway. He bumped into a few people on the way, earning himself some angry remarks from them. He didn’t care. His freedom was only one hour away. James came to the central portion of the ship. Oddly enough, it was almost empty. He traveled down the stairs, passing by two decks. On ‘C’ deck, the determined husky exited the stairs. He no longer knew where he was; all he knew was that his time to escape was coming up, and he wouldn’t let it get away. This deck seemed to be the place where the  _ Flying Battery _ ’s operations took place. There was a singular massive computer looking thing in the center of the room.

It was grey, and had seven letters painted in white text on its side. G-A-P-S-U-L-E. James had no idea what those letters meant, but that didn’t deter him one bit. The computer was inexplicably already activated, so, moving with the speed of a lightning bolt, James entered a query into the file search. Launch Base Zone. The screen loaded an image of a massive facility with tall buildings, cranes, and even rocket gantries. A big lake sat in the middle of it all, bordered by water pumps and various other electrical systems. James scanned the area with his eyes, looking for a good place to make his getaway. He saw a small road heading to the south that led away from the facility. Bingo.

James quickly deleted his query and rushed back upstairs. The entire time he ran, he smiled smugly to himself, knowing that his time on this forsaken ship would be over soon.


	6. An Escape Route?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Flying Battery lands at the Launch Base Zone for some urgent repairs. The crew of the ship is granted half an hour of downtime. This is James' chance. Does he take it?

**Chapter 6: An Escape Route?!**

Daily Log, Day 3 cont’d

I found a possible escape route from here! The Captain told us that the ship would be making an emergency landing in a place called ‘Launch Base Zone’. It looks to me that it belongs to the Navy. When I used that weird computer a few decks down, I noticed a road heading south. That might be my way out of here. I’ll miss my new friends, but I’m sure it’s for the best that I leave them. Heck, maybe when this war is over, I might see them again… Only time will tell, but for now, I’m up, over, and gone.

In high spirits, James Heiser.

The excited husky closed his notebook and shoved it back inside his coat. So far, he had been moving through the ship as discreetly as possible, not letting anyone figure out what he was up to. If they did, well the Captain would have his way with him. James shuddered at the thought. He walked to his cabin one last time to wait out the remaining thirty minutes. He laid flat on his bed, and took a deep breath. Could he really do this? Could he really ditch the people who tried their hardest to make his life aboard this ship not a living nightmare? A feeling of slight regret creeped upon the husky, but he shook them out of his head. His mind was made up, and nothing could change it.

Just like that, the cabin door burst open and in came Stormi. He had a flustered expression on his face.

“James, there you are! You just up and left after the Captain’s meeting. I didn’t get to ask you if you wanted to come with Scout, Gena, and I to visit the shipyard! There’s bound to be some cool looking boats and planes to check out, huh? So, you comin’?” 

The enthusiastic folf seemed to just radiate a positive aura, and it put James in a good mood. 

“You know what? Yeah, I’ll come with you guys. Besides, it might help me feel better about my current situation,” James said.

Stormi grinned and playfully punched James’ shoulder. He sat in his swiveling office chair and leaned back, staring at the ceiling. James stood at the window, looking down at the seemingly endless expanse of the sky. 

“Stormi? You got anyone waiting for you back home?” James asked all of a sudden.

Stormi shifted in his chair uncomfortably and sighed.

“N-no, I don’t. My parents passed away a few years ago, and I live alone. It’s been kinda hard, living in West City. The cost of renting my apartment is steadily increasing, and not to mention the cost of buying food, taking care of bills, and general maintenance. It wasn’t uncommon that I'd go a week or more without eating dinner every night. 

The money I get from working at my local supermarket barely nets me enough to have a constant supply of food in my fridge. I saw the ad posted by the Air Force, saying that they needed soldiers. The pay seemed pretty good for what I was getting into, so I went for it,” Stormi concluded. 

He looked at the floor and his shoulders hunched over.

James regretted asking the question.

“Hey, it’s nothing to worry about. When we get done with all this, you can crash at my place for a bit. I live in South City; not too far from West City. I’m sure you’ll like the change of scenery,” James offered.

Stormi looked at James and smiled.

Just then, the loudspeaker sounded once more. 

“All hands to the departure deck. The ship will be arriving at its berth in the Launch Base in ten minutes.”

James and Stormi quickly gathered themselves and rushed down to the departure deck. By the time they arrived, they were some of the last ones there. Scout and Agena were at the back of the group, so the four of them regrouped.

“Hey, kid. We’re headed to the shipyard! Stormi said that there might be some sick lookin’ vehicles! Ooh, maybe there’s a submarine!” Agena said, enthusiastically.

James nodded halfheartedly, knowing full well that he wouldn’t be joining them for their technological escapade. He shifted from side to side with anticipation. He could feel the  _ Flying Battery _ ’s engines vibrating through the floor, working extra hard to bring the 1000 foot long ship to a slower air speed. James could see through the windows that the ship had arrived at the Launch Base. The tall yellow brick buildings from before stood tall in the distance, each one with glass tubes embedded in their sides. In the north was a large mountain range; some of the snow from the mountains seeping into the outskirts of the Launch Base.

“Attention, everyone! We are now landing at our port. Once this door opens, you have thirty minutes of downtime!” The captains’ loud voice shouted from somewhere in the crowd.

There was a loud thud and several members of the crew nearly fell over. The huge hydraulic door at the front of the ship opened smoothly, and sunlight poured in from the outside. 

James shielded his eyes from the glaring light reflecting off the metal surface of the ground. With a gentle wave of his hand, the Captain dismissed the crew to do their leisurely things while the  _ Flying Battery _ was under repair. Agena was the first one out. She stretched her muscles and took a deep breath. It was clear that her time aboard the airship had made her appreciate the ground just a little bit more. The group followed a path that led to the lake in the center of the Base. The air around them smelled like seaweed; just like the gorgeous beaches of West Side Island. Despite the enjoyable scenery, this is when James decided to take his leave. He looked at his teammates smiling and having a good time, and a pang of guilt struck his heart. He would miss these guys. He wished them the best silently.

“Hey guys, I just remembered that I forgot my notebook in my cabin. Can I go back and get it?” he asked.

“Yeah, go on. We’ll still be here waiting for you. Don’t be too long, now!” Scout told him.

James nodded once and walked away. Once he was out of sight of his group mates, he burst into a full-on sprint. The husky was determined to get away from all this. He weaved through crowds of people, moving them to the side as he went. Nobody questioned him; they thought he was just another employee of the Launch Base, running late for work. That was precisely what James wanted them to think. He came across the southbound road from earlier, and hid behind a building. His heart pounded in his chest, and he just had to laugh to himself. This was it. This was his time. Could he make it?


	7. A Game Called 'Manhunt'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James makes his escape from the Launch Base! But when an unfortunate series of events renders his plan useless, what can James do to make sure his friends' lives aren't endangered?

**Chapter 7: A Game Called Manhunt**

Daily Log, Day 3 cont’d

I’ll never forget the looks on their faces the last time I saw them. Each one had a smile on their face, and what a contagious smile, at that. I’m struggling to not crack a smile right now. But that’s what I loved about those guys. We’ve known each other for, what? Two days? But somehow our relationship blossomed in that time. It’s gonna be hard, making the trek back home on my own, but I’m sure I’ll figure it out somehow. Besides, I get to keep this cool uniform!

James Heiser, cautiously optimistic.

The undaunted husky shoved his notebook back into the interior pocket of his coat and peeked his head over his current hiding spot. Nobody was around, except for the occasional swooping down of robotic security birds. So far, nobody had suspected a thing. The Launch Base’s security system seemed to be really high tech, with underground pressure-activated alarms, the aforementioned surveillance robots, and even laser guarded entryways. James spotted a tunnel built into a wall. It was just large enough to fit his body if he crawled on all fours. Perfect. He sprinted from his hiding spot, and in one fell swoop, he dived into the tunnel. Unfortunately for him, he miscalculated the amount of height he’d need to enter the tunnel, and smacked his forehead on the top of it. He slid down, but caught himself.

A trail of blood trickled from a wound above his left eye, crossing over the eye itself.

“Ugh, dammit. Not off to a good start,” James said while wiping the blood from his face. 

He took a moment to recuperate by sitting in the entrance of the tunnel. He gazed at the massive airship he had just departed from. It wasn’t often James had the opportunity to see such a technological marvel in person. No matter how much he disliked the current situation and usage of the ship, he had to admire her construction. The one-hundred men working on her hull were dwarfed by her sheer length and girth. It was painted in a unique grey camouflage color scheme, with splotches of darker grey spread intermittently along the hull. The gun cupolas, cockpit, and decks were all covered in shiny bronze. The ship’s propellers, each blade spanning 3.5 meters, were fixed firmly to sturdy steel beams protruding from the fore section of each gun cupola.

James took one last look at the wonder of engineering, and proceeded further and further into the tunnel. The floor of that tunnel was covered with a layer of rust, signifying that water once flowed through it.

James could see some sort of light at the end of the tunnel. Once he reached it, he was delighted to see that he had finally escaped. He climbed out of the tunnel and dusted his pants off. He looked behind him and nearly fainted from fright. He was face to face with a security officer.

“Hey, you. What’re you doing all the way out here? None of the  _ Flying Battery _ ’s crew was permitted to leave the Base. You’re coming with me,” the guard said.

He reached out to grab James’ arm, but his hand was slapped away. James scrambled to his feet and broke into a full sprint. The security guard quickly radioed his colleagues.

“Deserter! We have a deserter on the southern border! I need backup!”

James heard this and cursed himself for his stupidity.

“Aw, damn you, Heiser! You should’ve been more careful!”

On the outskirts of the Launch Base was a large forest, presumably feeding off the water from the lake nearby. James entered this forest without a second thought and hid behind a tree. The search patrol called in by the security officer was mobilized in record time. James could already hear them following the footprints that his boots left in the soft dirt. He took the boots off and threw them, in the hopes that it’d throw off the search party. James’ heart pounded in his chest and he felt lightheaded. It wasn’t often that he had to run that fast for so long. His footpaws were only clothed in socks and felt horribly exposed. 

The search party was getting close. He’d have to keep moving. James moved from tree to tree, looking behind each one before moving to the next. For a while, James didn’t hear any more sounds of shouting or radio crackles. Was he in the clear? The terrified husky ran a bit more, and in his haste, he slammed into something soft. He fell to the ground with a bruised bottom. Looking up at the object he’d just slammed into, his eyes opened wide in shock.

“Oh, there you are. The Captain’s gonna love this!”

James barely had enough time to process what was being said before he was struck with an immense force at the back of his head. He slumped forward and was out.

  
  


When he came to, James was in a considerable amount of pain. The back of his head throbbed unrelentingly and he was actually hanging by chains, suspended about two feet above the floor. The room he was in was dark, and illuminated with a single light; one naked lightbulb hanging from the ceiling. His vision was blurry, probably as a side effect from his head injury. He could move his eyes and mouth, so it probably wasn’t as bad as he thought.

“So, you tried to escape, huh?” asked a person.

They were shrouded in darkness, and only the tips of their shoes protruded into the light.

James snapped back to his senses as he heard the voice.

“Who are you? Where am I?” James asked.

The mysterious person laughed. His laugh was loud and harsh, almost taunting.

“Who am I? Do you really want to know the answer to that question, James? Don’t you want to know what happened to your friends?”

Another light flickered on, and there were three chairs. In each one, Stormi, Scout, and Agena sat, unconscious.

James was overcome with rage.

“No! They’re innocent! Don’t hurt them!” James shouted.

He tried to wriggle free of his restraints but to no avail. He hung limp, radiating an aura of hate and despair.

“Oh? You still have a bit of fight left in you? Tsk tsk, we can’t have that. Whaddya say we have a nice little chat in my office, huh James?” the man asked.

He walked into the light, smiling twistedly. His Captain’s badge sparkled radiantly.

“I’m sure you’d like to get all this over with as soon as possible.”


	8. Mistakes Have Been Made

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James learns the hard way what happens to those that defy the will of Captain Luftregler.

**Chapter 8: Mistakes Have Been Made**

Daily Log, Day 4

Oh, my head…

I think I’ve made a huge mistake. I shouldn’t have tried to escape. Now all my friends’ lives are in danger. The Captain is corrupt; he’s the one doing all this! I have to get out of here somehow. I have to tell someone about this. I refuse to have anyone else’s blood on my hands. Wait, I think I hear footsteps. He’s coming! I’ll give an update the next chance I get.

Terrified and alone, James Heiser.

The chained-up husky closed his notebook and sat on it; the entire thing smothered by his bottom. During his night of imprisonment, his shirt and pants had been confiscated, leaving him awfully exposed and very cold. For some reason, his captors let him keep the notebook, much to his surprise. The entire night, James had been chained up to a wall in a very uncomfortable position. He had gotten, at most, three hours of sleep.

“Ah, I see our little traitor is awake. You have a long day ahead of you, young man. Hehehe… I’m sure you’ll be of good use to me,” the Captain said, while walking slowly into his cell.

James’ heart rate increased and everything seemed to be a bit louder to him. The fear inside him was rising; his fur stood on end.

The Captain reached into his pocket, and for a moment, James thought he was grabbing a gun to end him right then and there. To James’ relief, however, the Captain retrieved a set of keys from within his pocket, and unlocked the handcuffs binding his hands. The Captain made a gesture, ordering him to stand.

“You’re a real disgrace to me, Mr. Heiser. You’re lucky I don’t just shoot you right here and dump your body into the sea! No matter how much I’d  **love** to do that, I cannot. You’re important,” Captain Luftregler said.

The old man’s eyes sparkled with a special kind of psychotic rage that James had never seen before. 

He and the Captain left the prisoner’s cell and walked down the miserable-looking hallway.

“When you went down to C Deck yesterday, you were being followed by cameras the whole time. The room with the GAPSULE in it was supposed to be locked,” the Captain said while holding his hand over his face. 

He led James into a room with a single table and two chairs. The Captain pointed into the room.

“In there. Somebody will be here momentarily to speak with you,” he said.

James walked into the room and sat in a chair. The Captain slammed the door closed and all was silent. James laid his head on the cold metal table, his hair covering his eyes. He just wanted to shrink out of existence; get this all over with. His plan had failed miserably, and he was no closer to home than when he left. 

Just then, the door opened with a loud creak. James was still face down on the table. He didn’t want to look at anyone or anything.

“Hey, pick your head up. You’re not supposed to be sleeping on the job!” said the person.

James’ head shot up, and with pure joy, he shouted a name.

“Stormi! It’s you!”

He got up from his seat and wrapped his arms around the taller folf’s body. But, he was pushed away.

“The Captain has ordered me to take you up to the bridge. That’s where your punishment will be decided,” Stormi said.

His eyes no longer had their energetic sparkle, and instead were dull and lifeless. Stormi held a pile of clothes in one hand. They all were covered in black and white horizontal stripes, similar to that of a prisoner back on the ground.

“Change your clothes. This is what you’ll be wearing for the remainder of your time on this ship,” Stormi said.

James’ face turned to an expression of horror. What exactly was Stormi saying?

“Just get on with it! I won’t look.”

The stoic folf turned his body around and faced the door.

With a great deal of embarrassment, James stripped bare and sheepishly put on the striped clothes. They were one size too big for him and the sleeves extended past his hands. 

“Alright, now let’s get going,” Stormi said.

He opened the door for James and followed him closely. The two of them ascended one deck; to the bridge officers’ residences. As they walked down the hallway to the ship’s bridge, they passed many cabins. James could hear sound coming from some of them, but from others, silence. The entrance to the ship’s bridge was at the end of the hallway. As James approached the rather intimidating wooden door, his heartbeat quickened and sweat slid down his forehead. 

He could hear at least two voices going back and forth from within the room. Stormi rapped on the door with his knuckles; three sharp knocks rang out into the empty hallway. The door opened. There the Captain stood, arms folded across his chest. The other person standing there was a tall female red fox; one that James knew all too well. She held a white towel in one hand and the other hung limp at her side.

Stormi shoved James forward, instructing him to sit in the chair.

“Since you haven’t been here long, I’ll only give you a taste of what happens if you defy me,” the Captain said.

He snapped his fingers at Agena, and barked an order.

“The bucket! Bring it here, now!”

She went into a small cupboard beneath the map table, and retrieved a metal bucket. It was filled to the brim with water.

“I’m sure you’ve heard of waterboarding, haven’t you, James? This technique was used in the days of old to interrogate suspicious people. The Earthlings taught us this way back, during the days of the Insurrection,” the Captain said.

He grabbed the towel from Agena’s hand and draped it over James’ head. Immediately, the feeling of pure terror creeped upon the stricken husky.

“It works by exploiting the fact that the surface of a towel is made to absorb water. If it gets overladen, well, you won’t be able to breathe!” The Captain chuckled gleefully.

He began to pour the water over James’ face. At first it was a trickle, but it soon grew to be a deluge. Immediately, the wet towel bonded to James’ face. Whenever he inhaled, the wet material was sucked into his nose and mouth. He was terrified. His arms and legs thrashed around and his muffled screams echoed throughout the room. In his panic, James exhaled all the air he had left in his lungs. His chest tightened and his lungs begged for more air. The Captain applied more water, smiling devilishly as he did so. 

Stormi and Agena, while still keeping their deadened look, were clearly disgusted by what was happening. James continued to thrash around. His vision was darkening, his insides burned immensely, and his muscles ached. James was dying.

The Captain poured the remainder of the water onto James’ face and laughed. The husky’s left arm twitched and lay still.

“Well, it would seem that our little traitor here isn’t as strong as we thought! Take him back to his cabin. I don’t want to see him any more for the rest of our voyage,” the Captain said.

“Yessir! Right away, sir!” Agena said, while saluting.

He left the room while humming a joyful tune to himself.

James was barely conscious. A raspy breath escaped his mouth and he struggled to pick his head up. He lifted his arm, but it fell back down, sapped of energy.

Stormi and Agena rushed over to him, their zombified looks completely disappeared.

“We have to take him back to your cabin. He needs to rest,” Agena said.

James smiled weakly and passed out, as his body was manhandled out of the room.


	9. Deliberate Destruction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James comes up with a new plan, and this time, he's not going after the ship itself. He's doing it to spite one person, and one person alone.

**Chapter 9: Deliberate Destruction**

Daily Log, Day 5

I should’ve known something was wrong with this situation! I’ve been smelling something fishy ever since day 1, and it’s not just me! The Captain must’ve brainwashed Stormi and Agena or something, because I know they’d never do that to me under their own accord. Regardless of what happens, I have a new plan! And it involves a little something called  _ sabotage. _

Dazed and dumbstruck, James Heiser.

James closed his notebook and set it on the bed next to him. He had woken up this morning to the sound of a rather heated argument. After his torture session, Agena and Stormi had basically dragged his unconcious body to the cabin that he and Stormi shared. He woke up in his bed this morning, while Stormi, Agena, and their other friend Scout, argued over something.

“How could you do such a thing? He’s just a kid! What would happen if he’d died? What would you do then?” Scout asked them.

Stormi had no good answer, but Agena had to speak her mind.

“I know he’s just a kid, but you gotta understand something first. Stormi and I were kidnapped in our sleep and brought to the Captain’s office. You hear me?  _ Kidnapped.  _ He threatened to shoot both of us right then and there if we didn’t assist in his little...interrogation. Do you seriously think we agreed to it without any sort of retaliation?! Cooperation was our only option if we wanted to keep ourselves  _ and  _ James alive!” she shouted.

Scout was about to shoot back, before he realized that Agena’s reasoning was perfectly valid.

Thinking back on the argument he’d heard, he felt bad for bringing all this upon his friends. James felt that he deserved everything that had happened to him. He didn’t want to endanger those he cared about, but in the process of preventing such a thing, he only enabled it. Pathetic.

At the moment, James was alone. He felt the soft vibrations of the ship’s propulsion system through the floor, and it calmed him. He looked through the window that was just above his bed. He saw grey clouds, and the occasional flash of lightning. Apparently, the  _ Flying Battery  _ had departed the Launch Base while he was asleep, and was currently making headway through a thunderstorm. He propped himself up with his arms in the window frame, and stared out the spotlessly clean glass. 

His tail swished from side to side absentmindedly, as James tried to take his mind off things. He wondered how life back home was. Did his parents try to call him, only to be met with an instant voice message request? Did he get any clients wanting a commission? Had anyone begun to wonder where he’d gone?

At that moment, the door to his cabin opened, and Agena walked in. She carried a greasy brown bag in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.

“James, you’re awake!” she exclaimed.

James chuckled lightly and rubbed the back of his head. The two of them embraced warmly, both of them clearly missing each other’s presence.

“I’m so sorry for what Stormi and I did to you. Please forgive us,” she begged.

James smiled and waved his hand.

“Ah, it’s fine. I know what happened. About how the Captain threatened you. You don’t need to worry,” he said.

Agena sighed with relief and opened the brown bag she’d brought with her.

“Well, I got you some breakfast. I don’t know what your favorite food is, so I just got a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich. You’re welcome!”

James grabbed the sandwich and bit into it. The melted cheese and salty bacon was a delight to his taste buds, and he tried to savor every bite. He munched greedily on the sandwich, eyes glued to the delectable morsel in front of him.

“Somebody must’ve been really hungry. It’s a shame, too. If you gained just a bit more weight, you might not be a skinny lil’ stick anymore. And then, I’d be able to admire those muscles of yours,” she said.

She playfully poked him in the ribs and he laughed in between gulps of food. Quite obviously entertained by James’ reaction, Agena began to tickle him lightly, her fingers dancing over the sensitive parts of James’ body. Having not been used to impromptu tickling sessions, James howled with laughter and fell backwards onto his bed. Agena was having the time of her life. The both of them tussled with each other, with the intent to defeat the other via tickling. From the outside looking in, it was very cute.

Then the door opened again. This time, Stormi walked in, hoping to rest his mind after a good hearty morning meal. But he walked into quite a scene. He saw both Agena and James fussing around on the lower bunk bed, and naturally assumed the worst.

“Am I interrupting something?” he asked.

Both James and Agena immediately halted their fun and looked at Stormi, horrified.

“Wow. I never thought it would happen, yet here we are. James, you are wearing protection, aren’t you?”

James’ eyes widened and his face twisted into a grimace.

“What?! No, that’s not what we were doing! It was just an innocent tickle fight, honest! I would never do that!” he assured Stormi.

The cheerful folf just laughed and brushed it off.

“Ha! I knew that already! I was just playin’ around. Good to see you two bonding again, though,” he said.

James laughed weakly, but Agena was not amused.

“Ugh, you’re a real pain in my tail, ya know that, Stormi?”

The entire group shared a hearty laugh, and it looked like their relationship was getting back to normal.

**  
  
**

A few hours later, James had gotten bored. Scout had basically invited himself into their cabin, and it was a bit cramped. They were getting tired of the same five board games over and over, and lately, they hadn’t had any weapon requests from the Captain or anyone else, for that matter.

James rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. Despite the fact that he very much hated the Captain and didn’t want to see him ever again, James desperately wanted something to do.

“Agena, I was wondering if you could teach me how to properly use a gun,” he asked.

She stared at him and laughed.

“Ha! Good joke, kid! It takes at least six months of training to properly learn how to wield a firearm!”

She saw James’ serious attitude, and her laughter died down.

“...But if you really wanna learn, I can teach you. I’ve been handling firearms since I was 15 years old. Let’s go down to the workshop and we can begin,” Agena said.

“Is it alright if I take James down to the shop so I can teach him a few tricks of mine?” she asked the other two.

Stormi was fast asleep, and Scout simply waved his hand.

Agena shrugged and walked over to the door. It was halfway open before she stopped to ask one more question.

“Wait a minute. Why do you wanna learn how to use a gun all of a sudden?”

James shrugged and giggled.

“Oh, no reason. But I do have a new plan.”


	10. Target Practice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James decides to take initiative with his own life and attends firearm handling lessons offered by his friend Agena. Will his gun-wielding skills improve in time for his plan to take action?

**Chapter 10: Target Practice**

Daily Log, Day 5 cont’d

After yesterday’s events, I’m not exactly sure how I’ll handle things from now on. Part of me wants to just forget about it and move on, another part of me wants to curl up and cry, and another part, a scary part, wants to enact swift and cruel revenge on the Captain. No matter how much I hate to admit it, I think I want to listen to the vengeful side. And my plan...just might be the thing that satisfies me. 

Vengeful and angry, James Heiser.

James quickly closed the book’s cover and slipped it into his new coat pocket; this time on the outside! He and Agena were en route to the ordnance workshop in the lower levels of the ship. James had a determined look in his eyes then. He knew what he had to do, what it’d take to do it, and what might happen if he failed. Failure was not an option, and if he somehow managed to do such a thing, he could never forgive himself.

Agena entered the workshop and grabbed a piece of paper from off the table. Quickly, she drew a large target on the sheet of paper and attached it to a post on the opposite wall using a thumb tack.

“Alright, that target will be your… well, target. What you wanna do is start by planting your feet about a foot and a half away from each other,” she said.

James planted his feet firmly on the floor, just like Agena commanded.

“Great. Now, you gotta lean forward just a little bit. Don’t arch your back, instead lean your entire torso forward.”

James did as he was told. Seeing the sparkle in Agena’s eyes as she taught him about something she was passionate about made James happy. He was glad he could be of some assistance after all he’d done lately.

“Okay, now you wanna stretch your arms in front of you in the shape of an isosceles triangle. You know what that is, right?” she asked.

James nodded slightly and performed the action. Admittedly, he felt a little stupid.

“Your posture is alright, but it could use some work. However, that’s not what we’re here for! Now comes the fun part. Holding and firing your gun!” she said, excitedly.

Agena opened a drawer in the underside of her work desk and retrieved a small pistol; about 3 quarters of a foot long. She handed James the pistol. It was heavy in his hand, and the metal was cold and hard. On the side of the gun, a red swirl pattern was painted, and more flecks of yellow surrounded it.

“This here’s my pride and joy! It was the first firearm I ever owned. She’s old, but she’ll work for now. When handling a handgun like this one, I want you to remember one thing. Grip it with all your strength. Not to the point where your hand begins to shake, but enough so that your free fingers cannot move,” Agena continued.

She grabbed James’ hand and moved it into position. His pinky, ring finger, and middle finger were wrapped around the gun’s lower body, while his thumb and pointer rested along the sides of the barrel.

“For this lesson, I’ll teach you how to hold your weapon with two hands. It is possible to use one with a single hand, but for beginners, the double-handed method is best.”

Agena’s Australian accent made everything she said sound a bit more serious than it actually was, and this situation was no exception. In fact, James felt a little intimidated.

“You wanna place your non-dominant hand in such a way that it grips the dominant one while covering it safely at the same time,” Agena said.

She once again maneuvered James’ hand into place. She stepped back and inspected his form.

“All’s well and good with your form. Now comes the simple part. Actually firing the weapon. Squeeze the trigger with your curled-up trigger finger, and out the bullet goes! Do watch out for the recoil, though. It’s gonna hurt your first time.”

Agena made space for James to do his thing. He eyed the rudimentarily drawn target on the paper, and prepared to fire. His mind drifted off to a more negative place, and the black and white target was replaced by the bearded face of Captain Luftregler. James was surprised at this, but the ruthless side of him enjoyed the challenge. He gulped and squeezed the trigger.

**_BAM_ **

A singular bullet spat out of the gun’s barrel, and faster than James’ brain could process, it slammed into the hanging target. The point of impact was far off from bullseye, but it was better than nothing.

“Wow, great job! You’re the best...almost,” Agena said.

James gently placed the gun on Agena’s work desk and gripped his wrist. It was in pain. Not the sharp wave of agony that one might expect, but rather the quick and long-lasting sting of a papercut.

“As I said, recoil injuries are to be expected. But, you did good. Look at that! A few more inches to the left, and you’d have hit a bullseye!” Agena told James.

He smiled widely and laughed, the pride of having officially completed his first lesson in weaponry temporarily overtaking his underlying seething rage.

“Well, it’s not perfect, but I did learn from the best. Thanks a lot, Agena,” James mumbled.

Agena’s ear twitched, angling itself toward him.

“What was that? Did I just hear you say that I was 'the best’?”

In the blink of an eye, James gave his friend a warm embrace; a token of his appreciation. His head laid against the taller fox’s soft, furry bust. 

Still quite taken aback by his sudden show of affection, Agena reciprocated the warm hug.

“Aww. Did I ever tell you how cute you can be sometimes?” Agena asked.

James broke the hug and grabbed Agena’s gun once again. He positioned himself in the same stance as he was taught.

“You can tell me how cute I am later! For now, let’s keep shooting. I want to get good at this, so there’s no time to waste!”

Agena jumped onto the surface of her desk and sat down.

“Alright, do whatever you want. Just don’t break any of my stuff,” she told James.

From out of her pocket, she grabbed a piece of chewing gum and popped it into her mouth. Her newest student was doing so well, and he could only get better.


	11. True Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James and Agena have a small bit of bonding time with each other, and a mysterious visitor arrives on the ship.

**Chapter 11: True Blue**

Daily Log, Day 5 cont’d

Alright! My plan’s in full swing, and I’ve already begun training with Agena. Seeing her smile when she’s teaching me just makes me immensely happy. Other than that, I’m still quite livid. I’ve cooled down a bit, but not much. I could’ve died back there. Luckily I didn’t. Captain Luftregler’s gonna regret what he did; I’ll see to it myself that he does!

Determined and angry, James Heiser.

James shut his notebook and placed it beside him on the long row of seats. The day had gone by relatively fast, and it was already 7:00 PM. He and his friends were down in the cafeteria, enjoying a delectable meal of chicken soup and slices of garlic bread. The atmosphere in the room was joyful; everyone was laughing and joking amongst each other. Everyone except James, that is. He sat in his spot, his arms folded across his chest and grumbling indignantly. Agena noticed this and was quick to question it.

“Hey, what’s wrong? You’re looking kinda blue. Wanna tell me what’s up?” she asked.

James growled and rolled his eyes.

“You’re not my mother! Got that? No need to go prying everywhere, alright?” he snapped back.

The sudden yelling made Agena flinch. She cowered and whimpered, but recomposed herself when she realized there was no threat.

“I’m just trying to help you out! I understand what you’re going through right now, believe me! And I also know the only way to truly solve the problem is to talk to somebody about it. So why don’tcha quit playin’ around, and tell me what’s on your mind!”

Agena grabbed James by the collar and stared into his quivering eyes. The ongoing conflict had garnered attention from many people, and they all looked on curiously. Agena noticed the many pairs of nosy-looking eyes and let go of James. 

“You know, I’m suddenly not all that hungry anymore. I’ll catch you guys later,” she muttered.

Agena stood up and hurried out of the cafeteria and disappeared from sight.

“You’d better go after her and smooth things over. She isn’t one to show mercy to those who’ve wronged her,” Scout said while stuffing garlic bread into his face.

James huffed and reluctantly dragged himself out of his seat. He jogged out of the room and sprinted down the hallway. Right when he was about to give up the search, he spotted her leaning against a wall. James crept up behind her and carefully covered her eyes with his hands.

“Hey, who’s there?” she asked.

James leaned in and whispered in her ear:

“It’s an evil monster. I’m here to kill you.”

Agena smiled and brushed his hands away from her eyes. She stood facing away from James, but her head was turned to the side, indicating that she was listening.

“Oh, it’s just you. Whaddya want? Here to scream at me again?” she asked.

James blushed and rubbed the back of his head.

“Haha...no I’m not. I’m here to apologize to you. I’m just thinking things over, and sometimes my anger can slip out and I outburst at people. I promise that wasn’t my intention,” James explained.

“Don’t worry about it. I forgive you. It’s just that...when you shouted at me all of a sudden…it reminded me of a painful time in my life. One that I’d rather not relive…” Agena sighed.

James’ curiosity was piqued. What exactly was Agena talking about?

“If you...if you don’t mind me asking, what exactly are you talking about?”

Agena’s clawed fingers gripped her arms, the claws burying themselves into her fur.

“I don’t know about that. Can I trust you?”

James nodded and put on a serious face.

“Alright, fine. When I was a kid, my dad and I didn’t have the best relationship. He hit me. A lot. It got so bad that my mom had to call the police, and they escorted us out of the house to visit a family member. I...I was scared of him. After a couple of weeks staying at our family member’s house, we had to go back. And what waited for us back home wasn’t pretty. 

My dad had...gotten drunk, and when he opened the door he had a gun in his hand. He pistol-whipped my mom across the face…”

Agena’s voice faltered and she had to wipe her nose with the back of her hand. After composing herself, she continued.

“She was knocked out cold, and her head was bleeding pretty bad. Then my dad turned the gun on me. I thought he was gonna shoot me. I distinctly remember closing my eyes and accepting death. But it never came. Instead I ran. I ran down the hallway, out of my apartment building, down the street, and never looked back. I basically had to survive on my own for the rest of my teenage years. That’s why I’m the way I am,” Agena concluded.

She sniffled and rubbed her eyes.

“But that’s all in the past. Right now is the present. No use in dwelling on old events,” she said.

James patted her on the back then rubbed it slowly.

“I’m so sorry you had to go through that. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have...exploded at you.” 

James sat on the floor next to Agena and rested his head against her shoulder. She raised a finger as if she was about to say something, but she was interrupted by a commotion in the main hallway.

There was a group of officers crowding around a window, all of them clamoring to get a look at whatever was there.

“He’s here! Wanna go up to the runway?” said one of them.

James stood on his tiptoes to get a better look, but he could barely make out the shape of an incoming airplane.

“Do you recognize that plane, Agena?” James asked.

She shook her head no. The small red biplane came ever closer to the floating airship, and made a sudden right turn. 

Moving along with the flow of people to the top deck, James held Agena’s hand as both of them rushed up the stairs. By the time they emerged from the crowded stairwell, the red plane had already made a safe landing on the  _ Flying Battery _ ’s runway.

From inside the cockpit, two people climbed out. The first one, a short yellow fox with...two tails? The second, a tall blue hedgehog with sweet-looking red sneakers. He took off his goggles and placed them to the side.

“Yo, what’s going on here? You guys havin’ a party or somethin?”


	12. Tasting Greatness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James and his friends are invited to an assembly hosted by the world renowned hero, Sonic the Hedgehog. Everything was going well, until it wasn't.

**Chapter 12: Tasting Greatness**

Daily Log, Day 6

I don’t have much to say today. I just feel...empty inside. No emotions, no ambition, no drive. It’s almost as if I’m stuck without a body in limbo. I’m regretful for my outburst at Agena yesterday, and after what she told me, it’s clear that she’s hurting inside. All day, every day. All I want to do now, is show her the care and warmth she missed out on as a kid. On another, slightly happier note, that hedgehog guy and his friend who came by yesterday are gonna do a speech to ‘raise morale’ aboard the ship. Heh, can’t wait to see how that plays out.

Tired as ever, James Heiser.

James swept his flowy white hair out of his eyes. The young husky was still feeling tired, despite his nightly 8-hour sleep. He rubbed his eyes and yawned. Sitting just three feet away from him, reclining in a swivel chair, was Stormi. He held a book in one hand and a pen in the other, occasionally making marks on the book’s pages. James sighed deeply and turned on his side, facing the wall.

“I saw you and Agena in the hallway yesterday. Everything’s alright between you two?” Stormi asked.

He hadn’t taken his eyes off his book, and still continued to make markings in the corners of the pages.

James turned to look at him. The lighthearted blue folf had a serious expression on his face.

“Yeah, everything’s good between us. Why?”

Stormi breathed out through his nose.

“Oh, nothing really. It’s just that you guys seem awfully close. It’s...it’s cute, I will admit,” he said.

James winced.

“No! That’s not what’s happening here! We just...we just...never mind.”

Stormi smiled and went back to reading his book. His comment, though, made James think. Was there a possibility that he was starting to develop feelings for Agena? No way. It’d been only a week! These things don’t happen that fast! Do they?

The sound of another announcement over the loudspeakers interrupted James’ thoughts.

“All crew members, please make your way to the B Deck Assembly room. Repeat, all crew to the Assembly room.”

James grunted and rolled off his bed. He swung the door to the cabin open and peeked his head into the hallway. Officers, crewmembers, and other staff were migrating in droves toward the center stairwell. It was loud and bustling. James and Stormi exited their room and joined the flow of traffic, which eventually deposited them inside the Assembly room on B Deck. This room was huge; it had tall pillars supporting it on all four corners, it had a stage in the front, and of course, there were enough seats to fit the entirety of the 1,800 crewmembers. 

“Hey, kid! Over here!” said a deep voice from somewhere.

James looked all around and saw a grey, black, and white hand waving in the air. Must’ve been Scout. James elbowed Stormi and pointed in the direction of the hand. They went over, and sure enough, Scout and Agena were already seated comfortably. There were two empty seats remaining in their row.

“Well, what’re you waitin’ for? Take a seat!” said Scout.

Stormi made an attempt to take the leftmost spot, but he was blocked.

“This one’s for the kid. You’ll go right next to him,” Agena demanded.

Stormi raised a hand in protest but was shut down. 

“I’m glad you’re here. I’m just more...comfortable when you're around,” Agena said.

James smiled at her and laughed sheepishly.

Just then, a person walked onto the stage up front. He held a medal in one hand and a microphone in the other.

“Good morning, all you brave warriors of Mobius! Today, I have a special guest with me to give you all a motivational speech. So without further ado, I present to you, Mr. Sonic the Hedgehog!” said the person on the stage.

From the side of the large wooden platform, the blue hedgehog from earlier walked onto the stage. His bright red sneakers reflected in the light, casting a beautiful crimson glow onto his surroundings. He bowed his head in front of the stage official. 

“I now bestow you, Sonic the Hedgehog, with the highest award I can give. The Mobian Medal of Honorable Service. This is for your years of nonstop service to your country and for the innumerable civilian lives you’ve saved.”

The man slipped the golden medal around Sonic’s neck, and there it hung precariously. 

“Hey, thanks a lot for the medal! You know, I never thought I’d ever get this far in life. After all, I wasn’t always the super cool hero you see standing before you,” Sonic began. 

As he spoke, he looked at each member of the audience, as if addressing them personally.

“When I was a kid, I always dreamed of being something great. I dreamed of becoming as cool as the fabled heroes of Earth, of the golden-haired wonders who saved that world time and time again. I dreamed of these things, and tried hard to get there. And eventually, after countless trials and errors, I made it! I had become the very thing I wanted to achieve. Now, at first, I was not good at this job by any meaning of the word,” he went on.

That comment warranted a few bouts of laughter from the crowd. James’ eyes were fixated on the legendary hero standing on the stage in front of him. He never imagined he’d get to see Sonic, let alone be in the same room with him. It was an amazing feeling.

“But, no matter how many times I tried and failed to stop a crime, or put out a fire, or even save a kitten from a tree, I persisted. Yes, there were times I wanted to drop all this and run away. Yes, there were times I wanted to just curl up in a ball and cry. But did I do those things? No, no I didn’t. I see all of you here on this marvelous airship going about your duties. I see it and I appreciate it immensely. One day, Tails and I will be too old to save the world like we’ve been doing.

But that’s where you all come in. I truly believe that each and every one of you can do your part to protect our planet. And when the day comes, we all can-”

Sonic was interrupted by a huge tremor. It rocked throughout the room, causing lights to flicker and ceiling tiles to crack and fall down. Some of the tiles hit unsuspecting audience members down below, and they were injured.

“What the heck was that?!” Sonic shouted.

He jumped into the air, his body curling into a tight blue ball with streaks of red, and zipped away.

James, Agena, Scout, and Stormi made their way through the chaos and pandemonium to look through a window. Through it, they saw a harrowing sight. Another airship was en route to the  _ Flying Battery _ ’s current position, and it looked hostile. Sure enough, another volley of shells struck the  _ Flying Battery _ ’s starboard side. Massive flames shot from the impact site, and clouded up the window. 

An ominous siren sounded, alerting all crew to get to their battle stations. Game on.


	13. Guns A-Blazing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The biggest battle James had ever seen, commences. Also a little bit of emotional cute things somewhere within.

**Chapter 13: Guns A-Blazing**

Daily Log, Day 6 cont’d

The dreaded day has arrived. My first full-fledged battle. I didn’t think I’d ever have to fight like this in my life, yet here we are. This entry is shorter than the others, but I’m sure you understand why. This might be my very last entry, so I’d like to say something. I don’t care what happens to me, but as long as my friends are safe, then I’ll be-

James’ quick scribbling was interrupted by another huge shock. His body was thrown against the wall; the impact knocking the air out of his lungs. Quickly, James regained his composure and continued to run down the hallway. Just then, a bridge officer came up to them.

“I’m gonna need one of you to come with me to the runway! The captain has ordered air support!” he said.

None of them replied. They knew full well that if they were to be shot down, the chance of survival would be negligible at best.

“Please! We need all the help we can get!” the officer pleaded.

Scout sighed defeatedly and stepped up.   
“I’ll do it. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s that you never know what you can or can’t do if you never try. So, let’s give it a shot,” he declared.

Stormi gasped.

“Wait, no! You can’t do that! You’ll die!”

His hand clasped the taller wolf’s shoulder in an attempt to stop him from leaving.

“Stormi, come on. We all know this is what I was made for! And besides, there isn’t much back home I’d be excited to see again. If anything, I’d rather do this and die than go home and deal with things there,” he muttered.

Stormi retracted his hand and let it hang at his side. He laughed a little bit and sniffled.

“If I’d known it was going to end this way, I would’ve told you to get yourself outta this mess a long time ago. But, it is what it is. Good luck.” 

The blue folf hugged his friend and silently prayed for him, fully expecting to never see him again. The entire time, James watched the scene unfold and thought it over. He raised a hand and said:

“I’ll go with him. I can’t let one of my friends give up their life alone like that.”

The others stared at him. They couldn’t believe it.

“Are you sure? It gets pretty chaotic out there. I won’t lie to you James, though the truth might not be what you want to hear. All of us, we have experience with this type of thing. You don’t. You could get killed out there,” Scout said.

James winced at the mention of death. His entire life, he’d been afraid of dying; it was just one of the many phobias he had. But this day, he was willing to get over it.

He had made up his mind, and nothing could sway him now.

“Yes, I’m sure. Even though I may be inexperienced, I’m sure I can do my part. Just remember what Sonic said earlier. Anyone can chip in and help somehow. And that’s what I’ll do.”

Agena looked at him with a devastated expression. It was almost as if she were being torn apart from the inside. She crouched down to James’ eye level and stared him down.

“If you’re certain about this, I won’t stop you. Just promise me that while you’re out there, you’ll be fighting with everything you’ve got. And if...if things go south, just think about something that makes you happy. Like me. You don’t have to, just-”

She was cut off by something soft on her mouth. James’ lips connected with hers, and stayed there for five seconds. It was a very unexpected thing, although looking back, it should have been very obvious. For James, those five seconds seemed like an eternity. But, every single hug, cute moment, snuggle, and uplifting word had been leading to this moment. 

His chest pounded and his head felt lighter than air. He slowly backed away, afraid of Agena’s reaction to the unexpected kiss.

All around them, the _Flying Battery_ heaved and rocked, her guns a-blazing, her propellers carrying her through the air.

“I-I’m sorry. I was just caught up in the moment and, you know…”

James laughed uncomfortably.

Agena playfully punched him in the shoulder. 

“Ugh, _finally!_ I’ve been waiting _forever._ I knew you’d come through for me, though. C’mere.”

The two of them hugged each other one last time. Admittedly, it was an adorable scene.

“Uh, sorry to interrupt your...moment, but there’s still a battle going on. We need to go!” 

The bridge officer was getting impatient.

James reluctantly ended the embrace and stood up straight.

“I’m sure we’ll be fine. Make sure you and Stormi stay safe as well!”

Scout and James followed the bridge officer up the stairs to the very top deck: the runway. Already, planes were being loaded up and launched, each one zipping down the tarmac at breakneck speeds and taking flight at the edge.

There were two empty planes waiting at the side; both of them grey and dark green with the UZM insignia on the side. The bridge officer rushed them across the deck to enter both of these planes. 

The _ratatat_ of machine guns and the _boom_ of cannons and bombs was deafening. You’d have to yell if you wanted to be heard!

“Okay! Both of you will launch in tandem! The guns are easy to use! Just squeeze the trigger and they’ll fire! Good luck, you two!” the officer said.

James and Scout jumped into their respective planes. They strapped themselves in, put goggles over their eyes, and started their engines. It sputtered to life, spinning the three propeller blades around and around until they were just a blur. Scout’s plane was the first to prepare for launch. A mechanical arm grabbed the underside of his vehicle.

“James! I want you to know that I’m proud of how much you've grown since we first met! It’s been an honor serving with you! Good luck!”

The wolf turned around and saluted with two fingers. His plane shot forward and lifted into the air. It banked to the left and joined the fray.

James watched this unfold and psyched himself up for launch.

“Okay, you can do this. You’re not going to die. You will make a difference in this battle. Phew.”

James’ hands were becoming sweaty underneath his gloves, but he didn’t mind. He gripped the plane’s controls and steadied himself. The plane launched forward and lifted into the air. He banked left and clutched the plane’s machine gun. It’s time.


	14. The Final Flash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The biggest battle that Mobius had ever seen comes to a rousing conclusion!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
> Before we begin, I want to give some credit to my good pal Noonui from Discord for helping me with the details of this penultimate chapter. They are a very talented writer, and I really recommend their works. They don't use Ao3, but their FFN account is "Noonui".  
> Let's get on with it, shall we?

**Chapter 14: The Final Flash**

_This is terrifying. My knowledge on how to fly a plane is minimal at best; my last flight lesson with Dad was_

_two years ago! I’m not so sure I can do this anymore. The sounds of the guns, the fire, the screaming. It’s horrible. But for the sake of my friends and family, I shall proceed with caution._

_-James’ thoughts._

James’ plane streaked through the sky, its thin but sturdy wings lifting it high into the sky. He looked to his left at the massive floating blimp. It was partially on fire. A huge black cloud billowed from its aft area, presumably from a direct cannon shot. James squinted and looked toward the lower portion of the ship.

There, he saw ten bronze-painted compartments, each one adorned with five guns on either side. Agena and Stormi must have gone inside one of them.

Turning north, James headed for the swarm of fighting planes and increased his airspeed. The sky had darkened with storm clouds, and lightning flashed inside some of them. He furrowed his brow at the sound of the explosions, the lightning rippling through in unpredictable intervals. The fur on James’ arm stood on end. He could feel his heart beating in his chest, the adrenaline coursing through his veins as his heart started to pump faster and faster against his ribcage. Just then, a red-hot bullet flew past James’ ear, scaring the living daylights out of him. He looked back, eyes wide from the sudden attack, and there was an enemy plane on his tail. 

That was close. 

The pilot of the plane sneered and shot at James again. Luckily the bullets missed. In an attempt to evade the enemy plane, James performed some impressive maneuvers. He was thrown back and forth in his seat, all the while biting his lip. He pulled back on the yoke and his plane went straight into the air. The enemy followed him, as suspected.

“I don’t want to kill you, but if you force my hand I’ll have to!” James shouted.

He knew full well that the enemy pilot couldn’t hear him, but it was worth a try.

He suddenly swung around and seized the trigger of the plane’s machine gun. A volley of projectiles violently spat out of the gun’s barrel; each one careening through the air. The whole plane shook from the violent surge bullets, James’ hands shook from the adrenaline as he clasped onto the trigger, his thumb starting to hurt. Most of them missed pathetically, but the last two were lucky hits. They struck the enemy plane in the tail, putting holes in the metal. The enemy plane descended.

James clenched his teeth as he pushed the plane’s yoke all the way down, forcing it into a dive. The wind whistled in James’ ears, and the blood rushed to his head. He took deep breaths, trying to calm his beating heart, and held on tight to the yoke to make the shaking in his hands stop. He entered a thick cloud and momentarily couldn’t see a thing. All he heard was the loud whistling of the wind, and all he could see was the occasional flash of lightning - the tumultuous explosion of the phenomenon making the fur on his arms go erect once more. Just then, he broke through the cloud. Tendrils of water vapor clung to the planebut were swiftly blown away by the high speed.

The enemy plane was on the run. The damage from James’ previous attack had been exacerbated by the high winds. Strips of metal peeled off the tail of the plane and smoke trailed out of the hole. James squeezed the trigger once more and delivered a death blow of bullets to the enemy plane. The explosion that occurred made his ears ring, the hot searing fire of the impact being closer as ever before. Its top wing detached itself from the rest of the vehicle, which sent it into a downward spiral. The only thing remaining was a thin trail of acrid smoke.

James leaned over and looked down below. He was miles above the ground. No sign of the enemy plane could be seen.

“He’s gone...I did it,” he said to himself.

He let himself take the time to take deep breaths before a small laugh escaped from his mouth. James had realized an important thing. He was no longer a rookie.

James ascended back to the main battle and was shocked at the amount of damage that had been done.

The enemy blimp was almost completely ablaze, casting eerie shadows on the dark clouds all around. The smoke was thick and hard to see through, making his heart beat faster in anticipation alone. James flew his plane right past it, shielding himself from the unrelenting heat. He could feel it singing some of the fur, the smell of it making his nose scrunch up and a small reminder in his head told him to be careful. The ship’s nameplate was almost completely melted, but it was still legible. His eyes widened once he saw what was still written there.

“Drohnenschiff-Batterie” it read. The Droneship Battery.

He couldn’t gawk at the burning hulk for too long though, there were still enemy planes afoot. James clenched his hands on the yolk one more time before performing an aileron roll to avoid a salvo of shots from a faraway cannon. He flew inward, right through the warring plane swarm. The smoke that surrounded him made him cough, squeezed his eyes shut for just a minute. He could feel his pulse in his ears, the blood coursing through his veins as the adrenaline made him feel more alive. This was what he was destined to be! A dogfighter. Just then, the plane’s radio crackled to life.

“Hey, kid! Can you hear me? It’s Scout!”

James was taken by surprise. His heart skipped an extra beat, the question repeating in his mind like a ghostly reminder]. Scout was still alive?!

He grabbed the radio and pressed the button on its side.

“Scout, are you okay? Where are you?” he asked, keeping his voice calm as much as it could, ignoring his shaking hands, and keeping an eye on the battle.

The radio went silent for a moment before crackling again.

“James, I’m hit. I think my plane’s damaged beyond repair.” he paused, an eerie silence momentarily taking hold. 

“I’m not gonna make it.”

The shock hit James like a speeding freight train. His eyes widened, time seemingly standing still in this very moment. The words repeated in his mind. ‘I’m not gonna make it’. 

Like a curse, the words started to slowly sink in, the reality of the entire situation ramming into him.

His chest was in pain and his vision went blurry, as he felt the tears press against his eyes, his throat starting to close up.

“No, that can’t be! You’re lying!” 

He yelled, ignoring the fact that he was in the middle of a battle, as a part of his life seemed to crash down and disappear.

Tears escaped James’ eyes and they fluttered away in the wind.

“Nope. I’m sorry, James. We had a good run, but my time’s come. Take care of Agena for me,” he said.

The radio went blank and was replaced by static.

James was still looking at the radio, staring at it as if Scout’s gruff voice was about to come back and say, ‘I’m just kidding’ or something, but it didn’t. 

He could feel his heart beating, the organ pumping faster and faster against his chest, as the need to breathe seemed to become of less importance the more time passed. A black hole started to emerge in his stomach, a deep, deep black abyss that shattered him, a part of him falling down to the ground to never get back up again. He had lost his fighting spirit. He never experienced that kind of pain before. He wanted it all to be a complete lie. A joke. He wanted it all to end.

At that moment, a massive explosion ripped through the air. The shockwave slammed into James’ plane and threw him off kilter. His ears began to ring, everything around him becoming hot, fires blazing as yellow, orange and red flicked through the sky, intertwining with the lightning storm and the falling rain.

The last thing he saw was an ever expanding fireball consuming everything in the air. Then, the blackness took over and he was out.


	15. All Things Must End Someday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An emotional final chapter. All loose ends are tied up here, and we explore James' life after his service on the Flying Battery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
> Credits to DoomFox for giving me some advice with the lil skip at the end of the chapter! Thanks, Doom!

**Chapter 15: All Things Must End Someday**

_Where am I? Everything’s dark and gloomy. Am I dead? Oh, please don’t tell me I’m dead. I was only 18! Wait a minute - I hear voices. Maybe I’m not dead. I hate this…_

_-James’ thoughts._

Many miles away, an emergency helicopter landed on the roof of one of the best hospitals in the world. A doctor was there waiting for it.

“Is he in there?” she asked.

The pilot of the helicopter nodded, and his assistant slid the door open. There, a black and white husky in tattered military uniform lay; a blanket draped over his body. Blood stained the middle of the white sheet, and the husky’s arm hung limp over the side.

The doctor gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.

“We’ve gotta get him to the ER, right now. Help me with this,” she told the pilot’s assistant. He grabbed the stretcher and gently lowered it to the ground. The female doctor moved the blanket to take a look at the husky’s body. His once-shiny nameplate was now dull yellow and scuffed.

“James? Can you hear me? I want you to know that we’ll be doing everything we can to keep you alive. You have nothing to worry about.”

The doctor’s voice echoed in James’ mind.

“You have nothing to worry about.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sky outside James’ window was just starting to darken. He’d been in the hospital for about a week now, and his date of discharge was coming up. When he had arrived, every doctor working in the emergency department was thrown into a state of shock. The news of the huge dogfight between the _Flying Battery_ and the _Droneship Battery_ had reached the major cities of Mobius-2 within an hour. News teams from all over the region rushed to the scene to investigate the damage. They arrived at a scene of carnage. Both massive airships had been downed; one of them completely destroyed, but the other was a bit more intact. There was various plane wreckage on the ground, fires raging, fuel igniting, and countless bodies scattered about. But amidst the horrors was one very lucky husky. He was shielded from the heat of the inferno by the body of his downed plane. It was upside-down and in a crater.

Everyone thought that he was a goner. The amount of bleeding going on, both internal and external, was horrific. Several bones were broken and he was pretty heavily concussed. Nobody expected him to recover. 

But here he was, sitting up in his bed and admiring the city skyline and the distant Ice Cap mountain range from his window. Just then, a doctor knocked on the doorframe to get his attention.

“Good evening, Mr. Heiser. I see you’ve been doing well lately!”

James smiled weakly and nodded.

“That’s good to hear. Now, I have a visitor for you. Would you like them to come in?”

A visitor? Who could possibly want to visit him now, what with the entire world being in the midst of a war? Nevertheless, he was interested.

“Sure, let them in.”

The doctor poked his head out of the door and beckoned the visitor forward. To James’ pleasant surprise, in walked a familiar light blue folf.

“Heya, James. It’s good to see you again.”

The bedridden husky’s eyes widened and he gasped.

“Stormi? You’re still alive? I thought I lost you out there!”

The folf chuckled and folded his arms across his chest. 

“If I was that easy to kill, I would have died years ago! I missed you, buddy.”

He gently hugged James and sat on a chair nearby.

“Did you hear about what happened to Scout?” James asked.

Stormi took his hat off and held it in his hands.

“Yeah, I did. May Chaos bless his soul. Godspeed, my friend.”

The two of them held a personal moment of silence for their fallen comrade.

“So, where’s Agena? I’ve been thinking about her,” James said.

Stormi averted his eyes and rubbed the back of his head. The news he’d learned not a week before would be hard to relay.

“I...I don’t know, James. Ever since the crash, everyone’s been scattered. All the survivors were airlifted to different hospitals around the world; it might be impossible to find Agena in all this. And then there’s the possibility that...she might not have survived. I mean, the probability of a person surviving an explosion like that is-”

James growled loudly and waved his hand at Stormi.

“Shut up, shut up, _shut up!_ That can’t be! She’s not dead! I made a promise to fight for her…”

James’ voice petered out before going silent altogether. He realized that Stormi was probably right.

“I didn’t want you to find out like this. It was gonna be a bit less...blunt. But that’s the truth. I’m sorry,” Stormi said.

James stared down at the blanket covering his body. He was drained. Both physically and emotionally. There was an encroaching feeling of emptiness in his chest, one that kept expanding further up, into his throat. He felt like screaming, like releasing all the pain and angst built up inside him, but decided against it.

“Alright. Well, if you hear anything from her, please tell me about it. Good luck out there, Stormi,” James said.

He held out a bandaged hand, which Stormi gripped. One shake, and it was done. The blue folf turned and left, but not before taking one last look at his bedridden friend. He walked down the hallway, and was gone.

James laid back, resting his head against the pillow. He took a deep breath, then exhaled. All this would take some getting used to, but he was sure he’d make it. Maybe one day he’d meet Agena again. Maybe one day they could all come together and honor their friend Scout. Maybe one day they could be normal yet again.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Some years later, in a large suburban house..._

An older male husky sat in a comfortable recliner, flipping through pages in a book. His house was completely silent; just how he liked it. Bright sunlight streamed into the room through spaces in the curtains, casting beams of yellow brightness on the floor. The husky cracked open another cold beer and took a long sip. It was a good day.

Just then, the doorbell rang twice. His ear twitched toward it, but he ignored it. The bell rang twice more.

A small brown husky ran to the front door, his large feet thumping on the carpeted floor as he went. He swung the door open and was dwarfed by the person standing in front of him. She looked down and patted his head.

“Hey, kid. Is your father here? I need to speak to him,” the visitor said.

“Daddy! Someone’s here to speak with you! She’s pretty…” the young husky said.

The visitor smiled and laughed, appreciating the young boy’s compliment.

The boy’s father closed his book and walked to the front door. At first he couldn’t recognize her. But then, realization dawned on him.

“Agena? Is it really you? I thought you were dead.”

The visitor nodded and extended her arms for a hug. She wrapped her arms around the dumbfounded husky. He returned the favor and breathed a sigh of relief. His heart was pounding.

“Yes it’s me, James. I missed you so, so much,” she said.

James couldn’t believe his eyes. His former crewmate aboard the UZMBAF _Flying Battery_ , the very same one that was presumed dead after the ship’s crash, was right here on his doorstep. And she was drop-dead gorgeous, too.

“I can’t tell you how much I’ve been wanting this day to arrive. Come on in, we’ve got a lot to talk about!”

James invited the lovely female fox into his house. All throughout the night, playful banter and joyful laughter rang throughout the house, as the two old friends caught up with each other’s lives and reminisced on fun times of the past.

Brigadier General James Heiser, 28.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, that was a great story, wasn't it? I give a sincere thank you to all my wonderful readers. I appreciate you taking the time out of your lives to read this thing. I also give a massive thank you to all my friends on the r/milesprower Discord server for giving me assistance in my various endeavors. I couldn't have done it without you guys!  
> I'm thinking of making this a two part series, although I'm not so sure quite yet. As of right now, Flying Battery: Death From Above is complete! Stay tuned for any other works! And hey, maybe I'll come back someday to add some extra content! *wink wink*  
> -Gap


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